"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week. Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week. Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

STFU rafa........you have turned into a coward.........

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."

Why, did Djokovic & Murray withdraw too? Is Del Potro not going to play here?

As for Nadal - poor chap. To have to make these decisions in what should be the prime of his career is a pity. But perhaps it is a wise move. It was never going to be easy to make inroads at the AO after such a long gap, and making his comeback on clay probably makes more sense. Anyway, the best of luck to him.

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week. Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

What a bummer for tennis! I cannot believe how long he has been out. Bound to happen with that game style. I always found it interesting that Noel, Murray and Federer make their opponents run more than they run. But with nadal it is the opposite. That has to take its toll...

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week. Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

first of all, none of us know what's happening with Nadal. knees, flu, whatever ... I, being a tennis retard as I'm, wanted to see Rafa/Murray in semis of the AO. miss him so much.

no alex, he is 100% fit and just running away from action........."lack of practice" is not a legitimate reason to skip a grandslam tournament.........

trying to avoid defeat by running away from it will not do any good........it actually hurts his confidence on clay when people expect him to win the moment he enters.........

there are zero expectations on hardcourts........so this is the best time to return and get a feel of things fast........instead of thinking positively, he and his stupid uncle are thinking negatively........

shame on uncle toni for being a wuss in public and openly discouraging his nephew by talking about some possible disorders which may not even be existing with rafa.........

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."

I think that all serious tennis fans simply miss Rafa. I really do, I just don't know what to think any more. skipping 2 majors ... how bad is it? we are still talking about a guy who is only 26yo (yes, I know how many matches he has played) ...

there's an inevitability to all this given the way he plays, his legs are much older than he is-probably antique. I think the importance of practice is crucial to Rafa, without him being truly grooved, i think his game would almost amateurish. Its' the relentless practice that allows him to acquire the punishing Rhythm he then imposes on the game.

I have Djokovic to win the Aussie open anyway, and that's how it's gonna be. So Rafa was only ever going to be a hurdle to Djokos unfolding greatness.

As for feeling sad about it, can't say as i ever feel sad when a player is injured, it's just a game, tough.

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I am a lighthouse worn by the weather and the wavesAnd though I'm empty I still warn the sailors on their way

................no alex, he is 100% fit and just running away from action........."lack of practice" is not a legitimate reason to skip a grandslam tournament.........

trying to avoid defeat by running away from it will not do any good........it actually hurts his confidence on clay when people expect him to win the moment he enters.........

there are zero expectations on hardcourts........so this is the best time to return and get a feel of things fast........instead of thinking positively, he and his stupid uncle are thinking negatively........

shame on uncle toni for being a wuss in public and openly discouraging his nephew by talking about some possible disorders which may not even be existing with rafa.........

Thanks for this candid take on the position, Start da Game. It gives a perspective that perhaps reflects the reality better than the assumption that his withdrawal is entirely injury related. I agree that there is likely to be an element of trying to avoid defeat - Nadal has been open about this in the past, for example, when he withdrew from Wimbledon in 2009, saying that he was unlikely to be able to defend his title & so preferred to rest.

No matter the reason, I agree with those who say that his presence is missed. Few players have added such excitement to the game. I hope your man will come back in his inimitable style very soon.

thanks for the nice words, gawdblessya.........i am still a bit angry that he is skipping the AO.........he and his uncle got this one wrong.........it is not a positive approach.........

My hunch is most Nadal fans are not thrilled with the decision. With as healthy as the other top 3 have been, it really makes you wonder. I hope we can see a strong return from Nadal this year, sooner than later would be good. I am a Fed fan, but tennis needs Nadal!

thanks for the nice words, gawdblessya.........i am still a bit angry that he is skipping the AO.........he and his uncle got this one wrong.........it is not a positive approach.........

My hunch is most Nadal fans are not thrilled with the decision. With as healthy as the other top 3 have been, it really makes you wonder. I hope we can see a strong return from Nadal this year, sooner than later would be good. I am a Fed fan, but tennis needs Nadal!

most of them are not happy with this decision, just saying all "right" things in public so that nobody calls them a mere bandwagoner and a glory hunter or any other name.........

it is very clear that he is fearing defeat and running away from grandslams and that is the last thing i thought nadal would ever do.........it's a shame on him and even bigger shame on uncle toni.........

thumbs down at nadal and his uncle........

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."

Nadal's withdrawal doesn't surprise me at all. I don't see him coming back until Monte Carlo though he has put down his name in several tournaments before then, but there will be some last minute withdrawals as well.

I agree with the statement that Nadal doesn't want to see any defeats on hard courts hence the opt out. I don't know if anyone remembers other than Nadal fans, but Nadal's performance was abysmal on hard courts after his return and had a series of losses. He did not win any titles upon return in that late part of 2009 and the first part of 2010. He lost to Del Potro at the USO and then to Murray at the AO. In fact, since some of you are so busy putting asterisks next to some of the winners', you might as well put one next to Del Potro's USO trophy. Because Nadal had just made a comeback after seeing a defeat to Soderling on his favourte surface at RG and skipping Wimbledon as a result as his confidence was shattered by then, he wasn't exactly riding high on the confidence level and so a player like Del Potro had no problems brushing Nadal aside in straight sets - a player who hasn't seen a win over Nadal since then.

Nadal only won his first title in 2010 once the clay season rolled around. He sealed the deal at MC once again and went on a tear and won the next 3 Slams. One can also put an asterisk next to Nadal's 2010 USO, where he basically had to face no solid hard court players and Nole was off from a very long and hard win over Federer in the semi and was mostly done by then (Andy went out early with a wrist injury). In fact, I'd like to put another asterisk next to Nadal's 2012 RG as Nole was half done after the semi-final, as he had to beat Federer in the semi and he didn't like his defeat the year before to the same player, so he had to give his all in that match vs Federer. So Nadal benefited from there as well.

I am very sure this is all Nadal's decision. He wants to come back strong and so if there's any doubt in his head, he's not going to do it. This, of course, doesn't necessarily mean that history will repeat again. They do sometimes but not always or else we'd be leaving in a repeated world. Best of luck to Nadal nonetheless. Tennis does miss him.